Argumentative Essay On Child Marriage

Some girls are bartered into marriage to repay debt or resolve a dispute. And widespread poverty still compels many parents to get their daughters married to avoid the cost of caring for them.

Child marriage in the States is a serious problem. The current law for child marriage states that you must be at least eighteen years old to marry. However, state laws make exceptions if minors have parental consent. Due to the lack of awareness in this topic thirty-three states and two counties in the U.S. reported that between 2000-2015 there were a total of 170,363 minors that were married. Of which, six were twelve-year-olds, fifty-one were thirteen-year-olds, nine hundred eighty-five was fourteen years old. Not only is this number increasing but it is also alarming. The main reasons for child marriage are poverty, gender inequality, tradition/culture, education, and insecurity. Most of the child marriages happen in rural or backward areas of the country. The main reason for this is poverty for sure. Parents who have a daughter but don't earn as much choose this method to give them a better life. For the boys, the marriage does not take place but poverty triggers child labor. Another main reason behind this activity is gender inequality. Even today there are lots of countries that consider

In the article, Child Marriages in Sub-Saharan Africa, states the reasons and crazy expectations of child marriages. In Sub-Saharan Africa 39% of girls are married before the age of 18. Child marriages has spread throughout all of Africa. In West and Central Africa 42% of girls are married before age 18 and in Eastern and Southern Africa it is 36% of the girls (Child Marriages in: Sub-Saharan Africa). These number vary throughout the year yet they never drop to zero. It is a mass dilemma to outsiders yet in the depth of Africa, it a tradition that is hard to break. Daughters may be married off due to poverty or fear of safety. It is a custom in which the daughter does not have much control and marriage can be used as a leverage in a heated

“Government statistics in South Sudan show half the girls there aged 15 to 19 are married, with some brides as young as 12 years old.” Many girls in countries such as South Sudan and Trinidad are married off at a young age and later face abuse from their husbands. Many of these cases go unnoticed, unpunished and numerous girls die because of birth complications. Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, emphasizes the issue of marriage rights and household equality that affect real people in countries such as the United States, South Sudan and Trinidad.

Established with Adam and Eve, still surviving, marriage is the oldest institution known. Often the climax of most romantic movies and stories, whether it may be ‘Pride and Prejudice’ or ‘Dil Wale Dulhaniya Ley Jaein Gey’, marriage has a universal appeal. It continues to be the most intimate social network, providing the strongest and most frequent opportunity for social and emotional support. Though, over the years, marriage appears to be tarnished with high divorce rates, discontentment and infidelity, it is still a principal source of happiness in the lives of respective partners. Although marriage is perceived as a deeply flawed institution serving more the needs of the society than those of the individuals, nevertheless, marriage is

Kingston, many girls are forced into marriages by being told it is the right thing to do. In summary, underage arranged marriages are very dangerous and unfair to the children who are placed under those circumstances while they haven’t even reached the capacity to comprehend what they want.

In the realm of Afghan marriage, women are sometimes granted the opportunity for an arranged marriage, although consequences may still ensue. Arranged marriage is just one of the many ways women are married off in Afghanistan, as well as other countries around the world. The women, who were groomed for marriage from birth, are sought after by the suitor’s relatives. The same goes for the suitors, although the men are often the ones who instigate and ask for the woman’s hand in marriage. While it may seem obvious why the two are marrying, they may happen for different reasons. “There are two types of arranged marriages in the Afghan society: those conducted for the sincere happiness of the couple, and those that resemble business transactions conducted primarily as a means to settle deals with families,” (Bashir 1). Sometimes the woman and man find each other and are pleased with one another. This is similar to Tariq and Laila’s relationship in that they found love together and their families approved it. However, it is known that things do not work out for the two at the time. Although some of the arranged marriages end happily, there is another side to them. Sometimes poor families sell off their daughters to pay off a debt or settle a feud. While these women are technically given the option to refuse, it does not come without consequences. Journalist Hannah Spruce explores this idea in further detail when she emphasizes that, “Some children who refuse to consent may find

Gay adoption is a subject which is widely debated. However over recent years gay adoption has allowed for most gay couples who want to adopt young children and give them a good quality of life, which they would have if they lived with their biological parents or a heterosexual couple, to do so.

Girls all over the world are forced into marriages due to financial necessity, tradition and to ensure their future. Most of these girls married are at a young age: “One third of the world’s girls are married before the age of 18 and 1 in 9 are married before the age of 15”( “Child Marriage Facts and Figures”). The young ages of those being married reveal how crucial it is to resolve this problem. When child marriage occurs the parents of the bride usually chose the groom for their daughters; and these grooms can be three times older than the young brides. Some children are brought into the world of marriage at the of 8 or sometimes less depending on their cultural views. The following can be used to help reduce the impact of early

Some of these arranged marriages are assigned at one’s birth with the girl (future woman) having absolutely no say on the matter. When viewing the photographs from NPR, Photographers Capture The Sorrow And Pain Of Global Girls, we see the first image of a 13-year-old Syrian girl being prepared to be married. In the girl's culture, it is seen as bad fortune if a girl “of age” dies without a husband. Due to harsh times and the fear of death, the family of the girl decides that their daughter is old enough to be married. Throughout this ordeal, it is possible that the girl detested the idea of marriage and was forced, or because it is a custom in their culture, it was normal to get married young. Being married at a young age relinquishes one's childhood and forced to assimilate into the role of a wife, this personifies the image that in these cultures a woman is not equal and instead of a minority within society. They are seen as less than men to the point where it is justifiable to beat women (Story Map/ Women’s Rights). On the Story Map website, one can see that mostly in Africa and middle-eastern countries it is reasonable to assault a woman. Assaulting men is a crime, which can lead to death, but ok if it happens to women. From being stripped of childhood at a young age to allowing the assault to occur, women are minorities in a majority of cultures around the

as different. Being raised by only one parent seems impossible to many yet over the decades it has become more prevalent. In today’s society many children have grown up to become emotionally stable and successful whether they had one or two parents to show them the rocky path that life bestows upon all human beings. The problem lies in the difference of children raised by single parents versus children raised by both a mother and a father. Does a child need both parents? Does a young boy need a father figure around? Does the government provide help for single parents? What role do step-parents and step-siblings play? With much speculation, this topic has become a very intriguing argument. What people must understand is that properly raising a child does not rely on the structure of a family but should be more focused on the process or values that are taught to these children as they learn to mature. Children of single parents can be just as progressive with emotional, social and behavioral skills as those with two parents.

Child brides are a little voiced problem that occur around the world. Fourteen million girls become child brides every year, a number that is increasing due to the growing populations of countries where child marriage is common (Fisher). I chose to focus on child brides specifically in Africa and the Middle East due to the high instances of child marriages in those parts of the world. In my research I also found that child brides are very common in South Asia and South America as well. In Niger, Chad, Mali, Bangladesh, Guinea, Central African Republic, Mozambique, and Nepal over half of girls are married before they turn eighteen (Fisher).This is largely due to traditional tribal practices, cultural norms, and an overall lack of education.

In many societies, marriage is a celebrated institution commemorating the union between two consenting adults and the beginning of their lives together. However, this experience and celebration is different for the millions of girls around the world who are forced to wed while still children, some not even yet teenagers.

Child marriage, defined as the formal or informal union before the age of 18, affects both girls and boys, even though girls are disproportionately affected (USAID, 2011). One third of girls in developing countries are married before turning 18 and one in nine are married before the age of 15 (ICRW, 2006). Child marriage is a violation of the human rights according to the 1990 African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) and the Convention on the Elimination on All Forms of Discrimination Against Women points out that even though a child may attain sexual maturity early, the child often is not mature enough to handle the physical, physiological, and psychological responsibilities pertaining to child bearing, marriage and motherhood (Maswikwa, et al., 2015; USAID, 2011). Child brides have limited ability to negotiate contraception use and engage in sexual activities that can result in pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. In the long run, pregnancy can have detrimental effects including obstetric fistula, which often occurs among girls who give birth before their bodies are physically mature (Kanesathasan et al., 2008). Child brides are more likely to experience domestic abuse and violence as compared to their peers who marry later (ICRW, 2006). The health problems, abuse and violence can lead to isolation from family and friends, feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, depression and post-traumatic stress (ICRW, 2006). Delaying child marriage

Girls who marry earlier tend to have poorer health and higher in risk of transmitting disease and HIV/AIDS. Very recently, the situation of children in need of special protection, notably girls vulnerable to sexual abuse and HIV/AIDS, suggests that early marriage is being used as a strategy to protect girls from sexual exposure (Innocenti Digest, 2001). Most decision for young girl to marry is as their parents believe they are protecting their daughter from HIV/AIDS. Other than that, some men fear of HIV infection have encourage them to seek young virgin, therefore uninfected partners. However, marriage does not offer any protection instead increase married girls’ exposure to virus as older husband may already be infected by previous sexual relationship. According to Rao Gupta and Geeta (1998), more than half of new HIV infections occur in 15-24 year olds, but girls become infected at twice the rate of boys. Other than risk on getting HIV/AIDS, other infection may arise due to early marriage. The risk of early pregnancy and child birth are well documented: increased risk of dying, increased risk of premature labor, complications during delivery, low birth-weight, and a higher chance that the newborn will not survive (Senderowitz & Judith, 1995).